The Forever Athletic Podcast

Ian Wood
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

The go-to podcast for over 30's who want to become high performing everyday athletes who not only dominate in the gym, but also in their careers and personal lives. Learn everything you need to know form the weekly episodes about how to train optimally AND efficiently around busy schedules and high stress lifestyles.

  1. 3d ago

    Ep217. How To Include Cheat Meals Without The Guilt.

    🎯 Presale for the next Start With 6 intake is open now — get first access before spots go to general sale.Join the presale here: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6 Episode Summary In this episode of The Forever Athletic Podcast, I'm getting straight to the point. Just eat the treat. I don't need to teach anyone which foods are "bad," everyone already knows. What I actually need to help people with is breaking the cycle of guilt and restriction that makes food feel like a battle in the first place. I'll walk you through exactly what I've eaten this week, meal deals, pastries, chocolate most nights, crisps, ice cream, as someone who's stayed in shape for years, and explain why none of it is naughty, none of it needs to be "earned," and none of it is cheating if it's part of a plan you actually chose. I'm bringing back the Hell Yes Rule here too, and talking about genuinely enjoying food instead of treating every bite like a decision that needs justifying. If you've ever felt guilty eating something you actually wanted, this one's for you. In This Episode Why I don't believe in "naughty foods," and what I think the real problem is insteadWhat I've actually eaten in a normal week, and why it hasn't undone years of staying in shapeWhy the mental cost of restriction is often bigger than the benefit of cutting things outThe difference between a treat and food you've genuinely chosen to includeWhy food isn't something you need to earn through exercise or restrictionThe Hell Yes Rule, and how to use it to actually enjoy food on your own termsWhy going off plan only becomes a problem when it's reactive, not when it's a choice Why This Matters Most people don't need another list of foods to avoid. They already know. What tends to actually derail people is the mental cycle that comes with restriction, feeling like certain foods are off limits, breaking that rule, then spiralling into guilt that does far more damage than the food itself ever could. The mental cost of that cycle is usually bigger than any benefit gained from cutting the food out in the first place. This is where the idea of a "cheat meal" falls apart for me. Calling it a cheat implies you've broken a rule you weren't supposed to break. Calling it a treat implies you've earned it, like a reward for good behaviour, and you're not a dog, you don't need to earn food. If it's something you've chosen, with the bigger picture in mind, it isn't naughty and it isn't cheating, it's just part of how you eat. This is exactly what the Hell Yes Rule is for. If something's genuinely worth it, don't just eat it, actually enjoy it. Notice what you like about it. Judge it the way a Bake Off contestant judges their own showstopper. That's a completely different relationship with food than eating something quickly while already feeling guilty about it, and it's the one that actually lasts. Resources & Links 🌐 Coachingwww.coachianwood.com/startwith6 📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/coachianwood About The Forever Athletic Podcast The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place. New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life. 🎯 Get first access to the next Start With 6 intake before general sale opens. Join the presale now: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6

  2. Oct 1

    Ep216. How to Keep Weight Off Long Term After Your Diet.

    🎯 Jump on the presale for the next Start With 6 Challenge — get first access before spots go to general sale.Join the presale here: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6 Episode Summary In this episode of The Forever Athletic Podcast, it's the last one in this run, and I want to turn 6 weeks of lessons into something you can actually keep using. I'll recap the core system in one place, protein priority, planning ahead, getting back on track fast after a slip, and turn it into something more useful than a memory, which is your own personal template. I'm also covering how to keep weight off long term properly, because losing weight and keeping it off are genuinely two different skills, and most plans only ever teach the first one. The scale was never the only measure of what's changed either, so I want to talk about energy, consistency, confidence and your relationship with food as well. If you've lost weight before and watched it come back, this episode explains exactly what's usually missing, and how to make sure it isn't missing this time. In This Episode A full recap of the core system in one place, ready to actually use going forwardHow to keep weight off long term by building your own repeatable template, not relying on memoryWhat your personal "usual" week should look like now, written down as your own rulebookWhy the scale was never the best measure of what's actually changedOther markers of progress worth paying attention to, energy, consistency, confidenceWhy getting back on track quickly after a slip matters more than avoiding slips altogetherThe one line I want you to remember about what these 6 weeks were really for Why This Matters Most people who've lost weight before and gained it back weren't missing discipline, they were missing a plan for afterwards. A structured programme creates real results, but if nothing is built to carry those habits forward once the structure disappears, the old patterns tend to creep back in within months. This is exactly what how to keep weight off long term actually depends on, not the diet itself, but what happens once it's over. The fix is turning what you've learned into your own personal template, not something you vaguely try to remember and rebuild from scratch. Your version of a simple meal structure, a rough protein and fibre target you can hit without tracking obsessively, and a plan for the situations that used to catch you out. That's what makes progress durable rather than temporary. The goal was never 6 weeks of perfect. It was 6 weeks of building something you don't have to think as hard about anymore, and that's worth recognising as a genuine result, even before you look at the scale. Resources & Links 🌐 Coachingwww.coachianwood.com/startwith6 📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/coachianwood About The Forever Athletic Podcast The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place. New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life. 🎯 Get first access to the next Start With 6 intake before general sale opens.Join the presale now: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6

  3. Sep 28

    Ep215. How to Calculate Your Macros Once a Coach Isn't Checking Every Entry

    🎯 Presale for the next Start With 6 intake is open now — get first access before spots go to general sale.Join the presale here: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6 Episode Summary In this episode of The Forever Athletic Podcast, it's the final week, which means a second progress photo for a lot of you, and probably a question sitting in the back of your mind about what happens once the structure disappears. I want to answer that properly today instead of leaving it unsaid. The honest answer is that you don't need someone checking every entry forever. You need the skill of roughly knowing what your body needs, and if you've been tracking consistently for the last 6 weeks, you already have something better than a generic calculator, which is real data from your own body. I'll walk you through how to calculate your macros using that data, rather than starting from scratch with a formula that was never built around you specifically. If you've been dreading the end of a structured plan, this episode should change how you think about it. In This Episode Why the end of a structured programme brings its own kind of anxiety, and why naming it helpsHow to calculate your macros using your own tracked results instead of a generic formulaWhy your own data is more accurate for you than any calculator will ever beThe order to work through when setting your own targets, protein first, then fat, then carbsWhy you don't need to hit your numbers exactly to keep making progressHow often you actually need to reassess your macros going forwardThe one line I want you to remember about what the last 6 weeks were really building Why This Matters Nearly everyone who's been through a structured programme has felt some version of the same worry near the end, which is what happens once nobody's checking in. That anxiety is common, and simply naming it takes a lot of its power away. It also misses something important, which is that the last 6 weeks haven't just been about the results so far, they've been building a skill. Learning how to calculate your macros properly isn't about memorising a formula. It's about using your own tracked data, what you've actually eaten and how your body has actually responded, as the starting point for your numbers going forward. That's more accurate than any generic calculator could ever be, because it's built entirely around you rather than population averages. You don't need a coach checking every entry forever. You need the skill of roughly knowing what your body needs, and if you've been consistent over the last 6 weeks, you've already been building that without necessarily realising it. Resources & Links 🌐 Coachingwww.coachianwood.com/startwith6 📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/coachianwood About The Forever Athletic Podcast The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place. New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life. 🎯 Get first access to the next Start With 6 intake before general sale opens.Join the presale now: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6

  4. Sep 24

    Ep214. How to Eat Out and Still Lose Weight, Without Giving Up Your Social Life

    🎯 Ready to stop starting again every Monday? Doors to the next Start With 6 intake are open now.Join here: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6 Episode Summary In this episode of The Forever Athletic Podcast, I'm covering one of the questions I get asked more than almost anything else, which is how to eat out and still lose weight, without treating it like a full-time restriction on your social life. A meal out isn't a cheat and it isn't a failure waiting to happen, it's just another meal that needs a quick plan, exactly like anything else. I'll walk you through the practical side, checking the menu ahead of time, deciding roughly what you're having before you're sat down and starving, and why prioritising protein makes a bigger difference than people expect. I'm also getting honest about alcohol, because it's rarely just about the calories in the drink itself. If you've ever felt like restaurants and takeaways are the enemy of progress, this one should change how you think about them completely. In This Episode Why eating out isn't a cheat, it's just a meal that needs a planHow to eat out and still lose weight without overthinking every single choiceWhy checking the menu in advance removes most of the pressure before you've even sat downThe mistake of "saving up" calories all day before a meal out, and why it usually backfiresWhy prioritising protein on the plate matters more than avoiding any specific foodWhat alcohol actually does beyond the calories, and how to plan for it properlyThe one line I want you to remember next time a meal out feels like it's derailed your week Why This Matters A lot of people treat restaurants and takeaways as something to survive rather than enjoy, which usually means either avoiding them altogether or going in with no plan and hoping for the best. Neither approach tends to work for long. Learning how to eat out and still lose weight isn't about finding loopholes, it's about applying the same basic logic you'd use for any other meal, just slightly adapted for less control over what's gone into it. The biggest mistake I see isn't what people order, it's what happens before they even get there. Skipping meals earlier in the day to "save room" almost always backfires, because you arrive properly starving and end up ordering, and eating, considerably more than you would have otherwise. A quick look at the menu beforehand and a rough idea of what you're having removes nearly all of that pressure. Alcohol deserves an honest mention here too, because it's rarely just about the calories in the drink. It lowers your inhibition around everything else on the table, which is often the bigger factor. None of this means avoiding a night out. It means planning for it, the same way you'd plan for anything else that matters to you. A meal out is one meal. It only becomes a problem if you let it turn into the whole weekend. Resources & Links 🌐 Coachingwww.coachianwood.com/startwith6 📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/coachianwood About The Forever Athletic Podcast The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place. New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life. 🎯 Ready to make this the intake that actually sticks?Join Start With 6 now: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6

  5. Sep 21

    Ep213. How Much Fibre Should You Eat, and Why Week 5 Is the Week That Decides Everything

    🎯 Ready to stop starting again every Monday? Join Start With 6.Join here: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6 Episode Summary In this episode of The Forever Athletic Podcast, I'm talking about a trap that only shows up once things are actually going well. By week 5, momentum's usually building, results are showing, and that brings its own risk, easing off early because it feels like the hard part's done. I want to explain why week 5 habits matter just as much as week 1 habits, maybe more, because they're what actually decides whether this sticks once the programme ends. Then I'm covering how much fibre should I eat, because it's the one macro almost nobody talks about and almost everyone falls short on. I'll explain what fibre actually does for fullness and digestion, roughly how much you should be aiming for, and simple ways to get there without turning it into another thing to track obsessively. If you've ever felt like you could ease off once things start working, or you've never given fibre a second thought, this one's for you. In This Episode Why week 5 brings its own version of a trap, even when things are going wellWhy easing off early undoes more progress than most people realiseHow much fibre should I eat, and why most people are well under it without knowingWhat fibre actually does for fullness, digestion and how satisfying a meal feelsThe simple food sources that get you there without any extra effortWhy fibre doesn't need tracking forever to make a real differenceThe one line I want you thinking about next time you assume the hard part's over Why This Matters Week 5 is a strange point in any plan. Things are usually going well, which sounds like exactly where you'd want to be, but it comes with its own risk. When results are already showing, it's easy to assume the hard part's behind you and start relaxing habits that got you there in the first place. In reality, what you do in week 5 has more influence on whether this actually sticks long term than almost any other week in the programme. This is also a good point to bring in something most people never think about, which is how much fibre should I eat. Protein and calories get all the attention, but fibre is quietly doing a lot of unseen work. It slows digestion, helps you feel properly satisfied after a meal, and supports things running smoothly, and most people fall well short of a useful target without ever realising it. The good news is that hitting a fibre target doesn't require another app or another thing to obsess over. A rough target most people do well with is around 25 to 30 grams a day, and getting there is mostly a case of including vegetables, whole grains, fruit and beans regularly, rather than tracking it to the gram. Small, boring, consistent, exactly like most things that actually work. Resources & Links 🌐 Coachingwww.coachianwood.com/startwith6 📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/coachianwood About The Forever Athletic Podcast The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place. New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life. 🎯 Ready to make this the intake that actually sticks?Join Start With 6 now: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6

  6. Sep 17

    Ep212. How to Deal With Cravings.

    🎯 Ready to stop starting again every Monday? Doors to the next Start With 6 intake are open now.Join here: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6 Episode Summary In this episode of The Forever Athletic Podcast, I'm talking about the one food, or the one situation, that derails you more than anything else. Nearly everyone's got one, and most advice tells you to just avoid it completely, which tends to backfire into exactly the binge it was trying to prevent. I want to talk properly about how to deal with food cravings, because the answer isn't a ban, it's a plan. I'll walk you through practical ways to keep a trigger food around without it taking over, and why deciding your approach in advance beats relying on willpower every time. Then I'm bringing in a concept called Circles of Control, which pairs with this perfectly. You can't always control whether a trigger food shows up in your week. You can always control your plan for when it does, and that shift changes everything. In This Episode Why banning a trigger food outright usually makes it worse, not betterHow to deal with food cravings with a plan instead of a rulePractical ways to keep a trigger food around without losing control of itWhy pairing a trigger food with protein or fibre changes how much of it you actually wantThe Circles of Control concept, and why it's one of the most useful mindset shifts in this whole programmeWhat's actually within your control versus what isn't, and why that distinction mattersThe one line I want you thinking about next time a craving hits Why This Matters Most advice on how to deal with food cravings comes down to "just don't have it," and for a lot of people that's exactly where things go wrong. When a food is completely off limits, it tends to take up far more space in your head than it deserves, and that often ends in eating far more of it than you would have if it had just been allowed in moderation from the start. A better approach is deciding in advance how a trigger food fits into your week, rather than leaving it to chance and hunger in the moment. Portioning it deliberately, not buying the family size if it's a known problem, pairing it with something more filling rather than eating it alone when you're already starving, all of this makes a real difference without requiring a total ban. This connects directly to Circles of Control. You can't control whether a trigger food turns up this week, a colleague brings biscuits in, someone serves dessert, that's just life. What you can control is your plan for that exact moment, whether you've eaten enough beforehand, whether you've decided your portion ahead of time, and how you respond if you do have more than planned. Spending energy on the bit you can't control gets you nowhere. Spending it on your next decision gets you everywhere. Resources & Links 🌐 Coachingwww.coachianwood.com/startwith6 📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/coachianwood About The Forever Athletic Podcast The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place. New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life. 🎯 Ready to make this the intake that actually sticks?Join Start With 6 now: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6

  7. Sep 14

    Ep211. Why Most People Quit Their Diet and The Basics of Healthy Fats.

    🎯 Ready to stop starting again every Monday? Doors to the next Start With 6 intake are open now.Join here: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6 Episode Summary In this episode of The Forever Athletic Podcast, I'm telling you something before it happens instead of after. Week 4 is statistically where most people's motivation dips hardest. If that's you right now, you're not failing, you're exactly on schedule, and I want to explain why that happens and why it doesn't actually matter if the rest of your plan was built properly. Then I'm getting into healthy fats for weight loss, because this is probably the most misunderstood macro out there. Fat got labelled the enemy years ago and a lot of that thinking still hangs around, even though cutting it too low usually backfires. I'll explain what fat actually does in your body, roughly how much you need, and why the problem was never fat itself. If motivation's dipped this week, or you've been avoiding fat thinking it's the smart move, this episode's for you. In This Episode Why week 4 is where motivation typically drops off hardest, and why that's completely normalWhy a plan built on motivation alone was always going to struggle around this pointWhat actually carries you through a week like this insteadHealthy fats for weight loss, and why fat isn't the enemy it's made out to beWhat fat actually does for hormones, fullness and absorbing certain vitaminsWhy cutting fat too low tends to make you hungrier, not leanerWhere fat genuinely becomes a problem, and it's usually not what you think Why This Matters Nobody warns you about week 4. Results have usually slowed from the big initial drop in week 1, the novelty's completely worn off, and real life has fully reasserted itself. If that's hit you this week, it's not a sign anything's gone wrong, it's one of the most predictable points in any plan. This is exactly why a plan built entirely on motivation falls apart here, and why the non-negotiables and the system matter more in week 4 than in any other week. This is also usually the point people start looking for something to tighten up, and fat is often the first thing to go. Healthy fats for weight loss deserve a much fairer hearing than they usually get. Fat plays a real role in hormone production, in how satisfied you feel after a meal, and in absorbing certain vitamins properly. Cutting it right down doesn't accelerate anything, it usually just leaves you hungrier and less satisfied. The actual problem was rarely fat on its own. It's usually fat combined with a lot of carbohydrate in the same food, pastries, fried food, most fast food, which is easy to overeat because of how calorie dense and moreish that combination is. Healthy fats for weight loss, eaten properly, are part of a plan that works, not something to fear. Resources & Links 🌐 Coachingwww.coachianwood.com/startwith6 📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/coachianwood About The Forever Athletic Podcast The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place. New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life. 🎯 Ready to make this the intake that actually sticks?Join Start With 6 now: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6

  8. Sep 10

    Ep210. PPPs: How to Stay on Track With Your Diet on a Night Out (Plus Post-Workout Recovery Simplified)

    🎯 Ready to stop starting again every Monday? Join the next intake of Start With 6.Join here: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6 Episode Summary In this episode of The Forever Athletic Podcast, I'm talking about the situations you already know are coming. A birthday, a night out, a Friday you know is going to be busy and messy. Most advice waits until you're in the moment and then asks you to rely on willpower, which is exactly why it doesn't work. Instead I'm introducing you to what I call a PPP, a Proactive Positive Plan. It's a simple idea, decide your approach to a tricky situation before you're in it, not while you're hungry, social, and a couple of drinks in. I'll walk you through exactly how to build one, using a big night out as the example. Then I'm covering post-workout recovery properly, what actually matters for helping you recover from a session and what's just noise you can ignore, including the so-called anabolic window that gets far more attention than it deserves. In This Episode What a PPP (Proactive Positive Plan) actually is, and why it beats willpower every timeHow to plan for a night out or big event before it happens, not afterWhy decisions made calmly in advance are far easier to stick to than ones made in the momentA simple example of planning food, portions and alcohol ahead of a big SaturdayWhat actually matters for post-workout recovery, and what doesn'tWhy the "anabolic window" is largely a myth, and what to focus on insteadThe one line I want you to remember before your next tricky social situation Why This Matters Nearly everyone can point to the exact moment a plan fell apart. A birthday, a work do, a heavy weekend, and it's rarely a surprise. You usually know it's coming days in advance, yet most advice still tells you to just "be disciplined" once you're there, hungry and three drinks in, which is the worst possible moment to be making considered decisions. This is exactly what a PPP fixes. Deciding roughly what you'll eat, what you'll order, and how you'll handle alcohol while you're calm and thinking clearly removes almost all of the pressure from the moment itself. Discipline in the moment is unreliable. A plan made yesterday is not, and that's really the whole idea behind proactive planning instead of reactive willpower. The same logic applies to post-workout recovery. There's a lot of noise around needing to eat within a strict window after training or hitting exact ratios of protein to carbs immediately. In reality, getting a reasonable amount of protein and carbs in within a few hours of training covers almost everyone's needs, and chasing precise timing beyond that rarely makes a meaningful difference. Resources & Links 🌐 Coachingwww.coachianwood.com/startwith6 📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/coachianwood About The Forever Athletic Podcast The Forever Athletic Podcast is for busy adults who are tired of starting over every Monday. If you want practical advice on fat loss, strength training, nutrition and building sustainable habits without fad diets, fitness misinformation or all-or-nothing thinking, you're in the right place. New episodes are released regularly to help you build a healthier, stronger body that fits around real life. 🎯 Ready to make this the change that actually sticks?Join Start With 6 now: www.coachianwood.com/startwith6

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The go-to podcast for over 30's who want to become high performing everyday athletes who not only dominate in the gym, but also in their careers and personal lives. Learn everything you need to know form the weekly episodes about how to train optimally AND efficiently around busy schedules and high stress lifestyles.

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